George Wu
by Savanah Rose
Summary: "In the second stage of training, Georgie got really good, really fast. He said the simulations weren't even scary to him…they were like a game..." The simulations marked him as Divergent, but what was George's life like in Dauntless, how did he get out, and what happened to him once he got to the Bureau? Read on to find out.
1. Chapter 1- Choosing Ceremony

**If you read The Blackest Shade of Gray you know I ran into writer's block a little while ago. Here is what I was working on while I took a short but needed break from that story.**

 **This short story works within the Dauntless Gray/Blackest Shade of Gray world (my pre-Divergent story of Hana Pedrad). This matches up with chapters 26 to 29 and chapter 44 in The Blackest Shade of Gray. It starts with George's time in Dauntless and follows him to the Bureau. If you haven't read Dauntless Gray and The Blackest Shade of Gray, you can still follow this. You just need to know one thing. In the Dauntless Gray world, Hana discovers what Natalie does and works for/with her from inside Dauntless.**

 **There are a few of my own characters from Dauntless Gray/The Blackest Shade of Gray that are used or mentioned in this story. I'd love for you to read those books, but they are long (Dauntless Gray is 64 chapters and over 200,000 words). The Blackest Shade of Gray is currently 44 chapters and over 100,000 words).**

 **So, if you want to read this without reading either of those, here is a quick list of my characters that appear in George's story and a little about them.**

 **Isaac- Hana's younger brother. He stayed in Abnegation.**

 **Conner- Danika's older brother. He works with Hana in the control room and is married to one of her and Tori's friends, Bekah.**

 **Jazz- Dauntless trainer, Amar's mom, one of Hana's and Tori's friends in Dauntless.**

 **Ava- Former Dauntless leader, Natalie's mother figure while she was in Dauntless. Natalie and Hana removed her from Dauntless earlier when it was discovered she is Divergent.**

 **Ben- Trainer candidate for Dauntless, normally works factionless patrol. Married to one of Tori's and Hana's friends, Abilyn , he is also Shauna's father.**

 **Chaz- Trainer candidate for Dauntless, normally works in maintenance. Married to Hana's best friend and cousin-in-law, Leeann.**

 **Renee- Trainer candidate for Dauntless. Hana and Natalie work to keep an eye on her. She's a transfer from Erudite. Natalie thinks she may be a spy.**

 **Eli- Leadership candidate for Dauntless. He works in Tech Support. Best friends with Jazz's husband, Rais. Eli is Hana's husband, which makes him Zeke and Uriah's dad (although Uriah hasn't been born yet).**

 **Levi- Leadership candidate for Dauntless. He is one of Eli's good friends and married to one of Hana's good friends, Kelly. He's also Lauren's dad.**

 **Sue- Leadership candidate for Dauntless. She works in the control room with Hana.**

 **Wyatt- Leadership candidate for Dauntless.**

 **I also want to give a special thanks to BK2U who is stepping in as Beta for this story so that it can be published around the time of chapter 44. Real life comes first, and I appreciate her willingness to help me out on this.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 1 Choosing Ceremony**

It takes a lot of work to keep my excitement at bay as Mom and Dad walk with me to my place next to — what's his name, Tori's friend's brother... Isaac, that's right — for the Choosing Ceremony. It doesn't matter what the Abnegation man from the aptitude test yesterday told me. Inconclusive or not, I _know_ where I belong. I can't wait until this ceremony is over so I can start my new life where I _truly_ belong.

"Tell Tori 'hi'," Mom whispers as she gives me one last hug and moves away.

The smallest feeling of guilt stabs at me. How on Earth could _Mom,_ with her priorities always firmly rooted in all things Erudite, realize I'm going? I would be surprised if Dad had figured out I am planning on following Tori, but _Mom?_ Tori manages to arrive at that moment. No, Mom doesn't know I'm going. She never cared enough to pay attention to me after Tori left, any more than she paid attention to Tori before she left. She must have seen Tori coming, but she can't even be bothered to linger a moment so she can tell her daughter 'hi' herself. Either that, or she's so concerned about her image that she doesn't want Jeanine to call her a faction traitor for speaking to her daughter.

Tori walks up with Isaac's sister, who is pregnant, and gives me a hug. "Hana?" I hear Isaac whisper his sister's name in awe, but Tori captures my attention before I hear any more of their conversation.

"Well?" she asks in an excited whisper. "Did you get a Dauntless result or not?"

I don't smile as I softly give her the confusing report. "Inconclusive."

"What?" She pulls back a little, her brow puckered with concern.

"Don't tell _anyone_ , but the test didn't tell me what faction I belong in." I keep my voice down. The Abnegation man who gave me my test told me that I shouldn't go around announcing my result. In fact, he told me I shouldn't tell anyone at all, but Tori isn't just anyone.

"Then where…" Tori starts to ask me where I'm going, but I decide to keep her wondering.

I notice Isaac saying goodbye to his sister. "You better get going." I nod my head towards Hana. "You shouldn't stick around here much longer."

"You better make the right choice," Tori mumbles under her breath. "We aren't through talking."

I keep my grin under control until she is behind me. There is no doubt in my mind I'm making the right choice.

The advantage of having my little-used surname towards the end of the alphabet is only seen on Choosing Day. Today, instead of being one of the last ones called when the Erudite teacher calls roll, I will be one of the first ones to pick my faction, to decide my fate. I try not to look too excited, to look too confident. Especially since most of my peers look unsure and a few of them look a little green.

It doesn't make sense to me for them to look so shaky. Our memories don't stretch back far enough to remember a time when we didn't know this day was coming. We have been raised knowing, since before we could walk, that one day we would choose to go or to stay. We have taken classes that tell us about the other factions. We have studied side by side with students from other factions, other backgrounds. We've been able to listen to them in class, and get a glimpse of what their life and their faction is like in the way they behave at school.

Then there is the aptitude test itself. For almost all of them, it told them _exactly_ where they should go, where they belong. For most of them, it has confirmed what they already knew, that they should just stay at home. For a few of them, it confirmed what they have long suspected, that they don't belong where they are.

There can't be many like me. There can't be many who took the test and had the Abnegation who administered it shake their head, sit down beside them, ask them if they realized anything about the test, and when they said they realized that it wasn't real received a sternly whispered warning. "Don't _ever_ tell _anyone_ what I am about to tell you. This is a matter of life and death to you."

I realize in my wonderings that I just missed the announcement of who is taking Norton's place as the leader of Erudite, but it doesn't matter. I already knew Mom isn't going to be leading Erudite, Jeanine is. Those in the Top Ten, the elite group in the faction formed by those with the ten highest IQs, were told two weeks ago that Jeanine has the highest IQ. They were informed that they weren't allowed to tell anyone, but that Jeanine would be the one running the faction. I overheard Mom tell Dad, as she was understandably disappointed to find out she was still only the third smartest person in the faction, but she has always known that when it comes to leading the faction, all the hard work and hours she put in didn't really count for anything. It always has been, and always will be, all about the number.

I don't bother listening to Jeanine's short speech introducing herself as the newest leader, or the speech meant for us by Candor's leader, Krista. Jeanine's delivery, I'm sure, is a factual recital of the importance of her job and Erudite. Krista, who is the actual leader of today's ceremony, will try one last time to persuade anyone who is leaning towards Candor that the truth is important to each of us.

May Young, my former study partner for calculus, is the first name called, and predictably she stays in Erudite. She was slightly better in every class than I was. I would have been very surprised if she had left.

In no time, Krista calls my name, and I confidently stride up to take my knife. There is no fear, no hesitation. The knife is sharp and the pain is brief. I head straight to where I belong, and with my eyes on Tori, I let my blood follow hers and drop upon the coals.

My sister is on her feet in an instant. Her arm pumps the air. I smile when I pick out her yell above everyone else's in Dauntless. I walk over and take my place among my faction, my new family. I am where I belong.

Tori spends the rest of the time trying to hide her excitement about my transferring. She wouldn't have to, except her friend sitting next to her, Hana, seems to be a little down that her brother is predictably staying in Abnegation. It's not surprising that he does, since teens in Abnegation are hardly ever selfish enough to leave their families.

As the last name is called and the last blood is spilt for the year, Tori leans into Hana. Hana pushes Tori up to her feet as the rest of Dauntless stands and runs. The members run to the stairs, Tori lagging a bit behind until we run next to each other, but only for a brief second. She suddenly reaches out and punches me on the shoulder. "You're it!" she yells and speeds up, leaving me to chase her.

I almost catch up with her at the bottom of the first set of stairs. She loses me when she suddenly vaults over the handrail and lands on the next flight. There are whoops and cheers as she does, and suddenly more and more of them, of us, are skipping steps. Tori seems to get further ahead of me. I grab onto the railing and try to push myself off it, but quickly realize I'm not going to make it and land back where I started.

"It's harder than it looks," a boy with close-cropped hair and just a hint of a tattoo showing behind each ear tells me. "I'm Lance."

"George," I answer as we jump down the last few steps.

"Are you ready for this? It's not the easiest thing to become Dauntless. There is more than book learning to this." I look at him for a moment, trying to decide if he is being condescending, but he merely looks concerned.

"I have been reading," I admit, looking him over and trying to judge the trustworthiness of my new friend. I decide quickly he has honest eyes, and I have to start somewhere. "But I've been practicing, too. I even have a set of knives I've practiced throwing."

Lance's eyes grow round. "Are you any good? I haven't even managed to do much with that."

We run up the platform to the cars, talking about tips for throwing knives and about some of the things Lance just can't wait until he is a full member to do. While we wait for the train to arrive, I try to remember what Tori told me about jumping on a moving train. Push with your legs, pull with your arms. The train whistle pierces the air and half of the group starts running for the first car. I see Tori grab onto the bar and swing herself in. She finds me and gives a little salute before she disappears inside the car. I run with the rest of the initiates for the second car. I try to do what Tori did and what she told me to do, but I don't pull quite hard enough with my arm and I end up on my knees before rolling out of the way for Lance to get in.

"Not bad, for a transfer."

I look up and see a pretty Dauntless girl looking down at me. "I'll do better next time."

"You'll need to do better when you get off," she says shortly. "From what I understand, if you miss jumping off, your chances of becoming Dauntless aren't very good."

"Lay off him," Lance says as he sticks up for me.

The girl rolls her eyes at Lance, and says in a superior tone, "I'm right, and you know it."

"I think you're right, from what we've heard, but neither of us _knows_ exactly what happens between the time we jump on the train and when we are brought in for dinner tonight. Danika, you may have a big brother who gave you a few hints as to what happens, but Conner's been known to pull your leg, too, so you don't know for sure if you know anything."

Danika huffs and heads over to the huddle of Dauntless and Candor that are getting to know each other in one corner.

"Don't worry about her," Lance says as he leads me to a different corner where there are Dauntless, Erudite and a lone Amity transfer talking. "Danika likes to think she's hot stuff. She doesn't mean anything by it. It's Dauntless swagger, and it's encouraged around here."

Take a running start, jump as far as you can, and keep running with the momentum when you jump off the train. Tori told me this countless times when we met in secret over the last few months. She seemed to repeat that phrase more than almost any other. Run to jump far, and keep running when I land so that I land on my feet. As I run off the momentum from jumping off the train to the roof, I understand why she repeated that so many times. One wrong step here is fatal.

"Ron!" A screaming girl who started the day in Candor captures my attention. "Ron!"

I look around for Ron, puzzled when I don't see anyone responding to her shriek, until I realize that there are two hands slowly losing the battle with gravity. For a moment, no one moves to help him. He is literally holding on for his life, and no one moves towards him. I realize that I am frozen in disbelief, too, and force myself to be brave, to move towards the edge. "Hold on, Ron," I encourage him. "Hold on." I kneel on one side of him and grab his arm. Lance realizes what I am doing and hurries over to grab his other arm. Together we pull him up. At one point Lance starts to lose his balance, and suddenly Danika is there, grabbing Lance around the waist to anchor him.

After we get Ron up, we all take a moment to stand there and think about what we have done. Ron moves first. He's short, and dressed in black and white like the girl. He looks at us, and then down the edge of the building, and then at us again. "Thank you," his voice is shaky as the girl throws her arms around him.

The three of us turn towards the crowd gathered around someone who stands near the edge of the building. "Welcome to Dauntless," a man with a blonde ponytail booms out from the edge.

* * *

Time is supposed to be a constant thing, always moving at the same pace. One thousand nanoseconds make a microsecond. One thousand microseconds make a millisecond. One thousand milliseconds make a second. Sixty seconds make a minute. Sixty minutes make an hour, and, according to my watch, it's been less than five hours since I was at my Choosing Ceremony and became Dauntless. It feels like scientific laws have been changed, rearranged, and broken since that moment my blood joined the blood of so many others on the coals, since that moment I became a part of Dauntless. I didn't know it was possible to fit so much into five hours; they've gone by so quickly that it feels like barely an hour has passed.

In that time, I've jumped on and off a train onto a roof, pulled someone back onto the roof from the edge, jumped off the building, gotten new clothes, started making new friends, and learned my way from the Pit to the training room to the dorms and finally to the cafeteria, where the cheering throng of Dauntless loudly welcomes us to dinner.

I'm happy to see Tori's group is seated near us. Tori is next to Jazz, one of our trainers. I sit at the edge of the initiates while Tori sits at the edge of her group of friends. We can't actually sit with each other; 'faction before blood', after all.

"Nest?" Tori suddenly calls out the lone word that has nothing to do with any conversation going on.

I wait to make sure no one realizes my response is tied to hers. "Rolling pin," I respond.

Tori also gives it some time before she responds back "Banshee."

I try to pay attention to what Lance is saying, instead of paying attention to Tori to make sure I don't miss her leaving. I try to remind myself it doesn't matter if I do; we've already confirmed that we're meeting at the tattoo parlor after dinner. So, if she does leave without me noticing… we'll still meet up again tonight.

"I've got to get to work," Tori announces as she picks up her tray to leave. She walks away without a backward glance at me, which is the way it should be.

"So, let's check out the chasm," Ron suggests.

"You can do that. I'm going to do something a little more Dauntless than that." I try to put some of what Lance described as Dauntless swagger into my voice.

"Oh? What are you going to do that is so Dauntless?" Danika asks, smiling at me patronizingly.

"I'm going to get a tattoo." Or at least talk to my sister about one, I finish to myself as I stand up to go. I'm thankful that no one decides to join me.

* * *

"There you are." Tori pulls me deeper into the tattoo parlor and gives me a quick hug. "What took you so long?"

"It couldn't look like I was following you," I remind her.

"True, but did you have to wait that long?" I try to keep from smiling at myself as Tori holds me by my shoulders at an arm's length from herself. Evidently time has played its other trick on Tori: going so slowly it doesn't feel like it's moving at all. "It is so good to have you here." She pulls me back in for another hug. "Here's what I've been thinking." She pulls out a sheet of paper that looks about as long as my back. There is a drawing of flames covering it. "This tattoo will take me about a month to do."

I look at the tattoo and then at her. "Are you serious?"

"Yes." Tori looks a little hurt at my comment. "I'll need to give it some healing time, but with this tattoo I can see you at least every other day."

I reach out and trace the nearest flame with my finger. "You drew this?" I let the admiration and awe seep into my voice. I had no idea my sister was so talented.

"Of course, this is what I do."

I look at some of the innermost curves of the flames. "Those almost look like Erudite eyes," I say softly as I trace the nearly oval shape.

Tori looks over it again. "I must have done that subconsciously. I can change it."

"Can you make the eyes hidden in the flames?"

Tori looks at me like she is trying to see through me. It's the look she's always used whenever she is trying to talk me into something. "I'll do that if you'll explain to me what happened during your aptitude test."

I lay down on my back, on the table I'll lie on when Tori does the tattoo, and stare at the ceiling. "There's not much more to tell. I knew that it wasn't real."

"How did you know that?" Tori's voice is soft while she erases a portion of her drawing and then gets out a pencil to draw in the hidden eyes.

"I don't know how I knew it. I can't explain that any more than you can explain to me how you didn't know it wasn't real."

Tori presses her lips together in a stern line.

"It basically means it would have been just as easy for me to stay in Erudite as to move to Dauntless, except there was no reason to stay in Erudite when my best friend was already in Dauntless." Tori smiles, and I let the punch line fall. "I only met Lance today and I already know we're going to be best friends."

Tori starts to respond, then throws her pencil at me. "You're still a brat, I see."

* * *

"I don't see any ink. Looks like someone chickened out," Danika taunts me.

"I didn't chicken out. Tori decided she's going to create a custom tattoo for me." I add Dauntless swagger to my tone again.

"Yeah, well, I'll still believe it when I see it, Nose," Danika says with her own brand of pride.

" _You're_ not likely to see it," I respond back before I think about it.

Danika laughs. "I'm right! I'm not going to see it, because you're not getting one."

"It's going on my back, and trust me, I'm not showing _you_ my back," I return quickly.

Danika makes a disgusted face. "Like I would _want_ to see you with your shirt off."

Before I can respond, Jazz, one of our trainers, interrupts us from where she sits nearby with her friends and family. "You're down to fifteen minutes to be in the training room, ready to go." She kisses a little boy — who has brown eyes the same shape and shade of brown as hers — on the top of his head, and then kisses a man I'm guessing is her husband before she picks up her tray to dump it.

Without another word, we all look at each other, then hurry to finish eating. We have an important day of training in front of us.

* * *

Harrison, the man with the ponytail who was on the roof when we arrived, is our other trainer. He takes the Dauntless-born into a different room to train; the dozen of us who transferred stay with Jazz. "For the next couple of days, you will be training separately from the Dauntless-born. You need to learn the basics of fighting, which they already know. Normally you would all be stuck with me, but this year is Harrison's last year as a trainer, and we are in the middle of replacing a leader here in Dauntless due to the unexpected death of Ava." Jazz pauses; she seems a little more… emotional than I would have expected from a Dauntless. She shakes her head like she is shaking off an unwelcome thought. "Anyway, we have our trainer candidates — Ben, Chaz and Renee — with us to help you learn to fight, and our leadership candidates — Eli, Levi, Sue, and Wyatt — helping you as well. Just so you know, Harrison is also a candidate for leadership. We're going to work on getting you caught up with the Dauntless-born so they don't snap you like matchsticks when you fight each other next week."

We all look around the circle at each other. I have a feeling I look more confident, more sure of myself, than the others do. Most of them look worried. I'm sure the Amity boy has never thrown a punch, and although I'm sure the six Candors have had plenty of practice with verbal sparring, I doubt they have ever become physical. I know from my own experience in Erudite that it is illogical to hit anyone. I hide my grin; I should be ahead of everyone in the room, thanks to the private lessons Tori gave me when we would both sneak out of our factions to meet.

"Everyone find a punching bag." Jazz's voice breaks into my thoughts. "We'll start with the basics."

* * *

Danika looks cute with only her eyes and mouth peeking out from her padded suit. "You're about to be beaten by a girl," she taunts me.

All thoughts of her being cute fly from my mind in that moment, and I spar back verbally before I can stop myself. "That's what you think. The truth is you're about to lose to a transfer." I strike her on the chest, giving me the first score, before she even knows what hit her.

Danika throws two punches in quick succession, but she's rushed and upset. They are both easy for me to block. Danika's eyes narrow and I smile, hoping to unnerve her. We circle each other as each of us looks for the advantage.

I fake with my left arm like Tori taught me, and when she moves to block it, I come in with my right arm and left leg, catching her off guard so she stumbles onto the ground. I hold out my hand to help her up, like Tori always helps me when she knocks me to the ground. Danika eyes me, breathing heavily, like she's trying to decide if she trusts me or not. Finally, she takes my hand and pulls me down instead of pulling herself up. I wasn't expecting that, so instead of being braced for it, I end up almost on top of her. "Bet you can't do that again."

"Bet I can."

"Oh, yeah?" Danika uses me to push herself back up. "What do you want to bet?"

"Loser has to serve the winner Dauntless cake tonight." I stand up, too.

"You are going down this time," Danika says grimly.

* * *

Danika gives my empty plate a sour look, then stands up and marches off in a huff to the counter where the Dauntless cake awaits. She grabs two pieces and heads back. I keep an eye on her, just to make sure she doesn't do anything like spit on it. "Here's your cake." She lets my piece drop the last couple of inches from her hands. "How did you do that?"

Trying to keep up the Dauntless swagger, I take a bite of the cake. It is so much better than the gelatin we had for dessert in Erudite. Although I still miss the Erudite fizzy drink, I'm starting to think Dauntless cake might make up for it. I try not to look at Tori, but I can't keep from stealing a quick glance at her as I brag, "I'm just that good, I guess."

 **If you read my writing you know I love reviews and sometimes bribe you to get them. I have a new bribe for you on this story. YOU decide how quickly the next chapter is posted. This story is completely written, edited, and loaded on Fanfiction. At the end of each chapter, I'll tell you how many reviews I need to post the next chapter. The next chapter will be posted within 24 hours of that number of reviews.**

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	2. Chapter 2- Simulations

**Happy Thanksgiving! I've decided to be thankful for the reviews I have gotten and go on ahead and publish the next chapter for you.**

 **Thank you, again, to BK2U for helping me out with her Beta skills for this chapter. I appreiate her taking the time to Bea the whole story so it is ready to go!**

 **Thank you to Ry and D. Lyn, for leaving guest reviews, and also to everyoen else who reviewed this story. You all are great, and I'm thankful for each one of you and your kind words!**

 **Next chapter comes after 10 reviews.**

 **Chapter 2 Simulations**

"How did you do it?" Danika asks me again the next day at breakfast.

"Do what?" I ask after I swallow the bite of chocolate chip muffin I was chewing.

"How did you manage to knock me down, not just once, but twice?" She sounds amazed. "I mean, I've been wrestling with my older brother my whole life, and you come in from another faction and land me on my tail."

I don't allow myself to grin. Tori and I agreed that while her friends know who I am, we're not telling my friends until Visiting Day when we can spend the whole day together. "I've read a lot of books."

* * *

"Are you still working on the same tattoo?" Lance asks as I stand up to leave from dinner.

"It takes up my whole back," I remind him. "Tori can't do all of that in a day."

"We'll meet up with you at the tattoo parlor," Lance says.

"I'll see you then." I smile at him and Danika and walk away.

"I think he must have a crush on Tori," I hear Ron say in a low whisper. "I mean, to get that big of a tattoo for his first one, he _must_ be trying to impress her and spend time with her to get to know her better."

I press my lips together to keep the laughter in. The people walking out with me move away from me and give me strange looks when I suddenly burst out laughing just outside the door.

* * *

Before Lance and Danika show up, Tori's friend comes into the tattoo parlor where Tori is working on my back tonight. "Hi... Hana, right?" I grin, thankful for the distraction. Tori's day today was pretty uneventful and I'm getting tired of hearing about all the different tattoos one person looked at before making a decision.

"That's right. Good memory." She sounds pleased that I remember who she is.

I can't stop from laughing at that. "You're the easiest one of Tori's friends."

"And why is that?" Tori asks, lifting the pen so she can join in our conversation.

"Two reasons." I push myself up on my elbows so I can stretch my back and see a little better. "One, she's the only one that is pregnant. Two, her brother." I pause, remembering meeting him on the first Visiting Day I came to Dauntless to see Tori, and not knowing him despite the fact we had class together. At least now I remember his name, I think. "Isaac?"

Hana nods, letting me know I'm right.

"Isaac was in my class."

"Okay, Georgie, you've proved you have a good memory," Tori says in a patronizing voice.

"Would you quit calling me Georgie?! I hate that name." I wrinkle my nose in disgust.

"What, would you rather I call you Jonathan*?" Tori teases me with a gleam of mischief in her eye.

I am _so_ glad Danika is running late and isn't here right now. I would never hear the end of this if she knew about it.

"Yes! I wish Mom and Dad _had_ named me Jonathan. Even _that_ is better than Georgie," I mutter under my breath. I hate the name Jonathan. I don't know why Mom and Dad ever thought about naming me that, but more importantly, I wish they had never told Tori.

* * *

Tori grins as we meet up in the Pit. "You know, there's part of me that almost hopes Mom and Dad don't show up. I only get to see you when I work on your tattoo."

She fusses, straightening the lapel of the black blazer that I'm wearing. I try to be patient with her, but really, do I still need my big sister to dress me?

"George!" Danika is waving me over. I walk over with Tori and sling an arm around Danika's shoulder. "This is my older brother, Conner." She introduces me to one of the men I've seen sitting with Tori.

Conner holds out his hand and I shake it. "Nice to meet you."

Conner eyes the arm I've slung around his sister, then looks me in the eye. "So you're the little brother Tori's talked about."

Danika gives me a little shove. "Tori's your sister?"

Suddenly, Lance's arm is around my shoulder. "George! If none of your family is here, come join us."

I grab Tori's hand and pull her into the group. "My sister, Tori," I say by way of introduction.

Lance looks at me open-mouthed and laughs. "I can't wait to see Ron's reaction! I didn't know you had any family in Dauntless, let alone that you were related to a tattoo artist," Lance says. "She did my 'goodbye' tattoo." Lance pulls his ear back and shows me the flames he has behind them.

"Goodbye tattoo?" I ask, puzzled.

"It's a family tradition," Lance explains with a smile. "We always get a tattoo before Choosing Day so we'll always have a piece of Dauntless with us. I knew I wasn't leaving when she did it, but it's tradition."

"George! George!" Mom's voice catches my attention, and then there she is headed towards us, a woman on a mission, with Dad right behind her.

"Tori!" Mom hugs me and then her daughter. "Well, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you two ended up together. Let me see you." She steps back and looks over both of us.

Lance still has an arm around my neck and suddenly I realize that he and Danika are waiting to be introduced to my family. I pull her close and wrap my arm around her waist. It seems to fit so easily there. "Mom, this is Lance and Danika."

Danika holds out her hand to Mom without moving away from me. It's nice to act like friends instead of taunting each other all the time.

* * *

"No, we're not going to the tattoo parlor so you can see Tori," Lance insists.

I stand up from his bed, where we have both been tying our shoes so we can leave the dorms and enjoy our day off. Fighting is over, Visiting Day is now history. We have one day to enjoy ourselves before we start the next phase of training, and suddenly Lance doesn't want to go anywhere. "I'm not sitting around here doing nothing."

"You can't go spend every spare moment with your sister," Lance says in a low tone. "Faction before blood. Even though you both are in Dauntless, you have to spend _some_ time apart."

"I'm not going to see Tori," I lie, knowing he will still know the truth. "I left my jacket at the tattoo parlor and I need to go pick it up."

Lance shakes his head at me. "Leave it there for later," he urges in the same undertone. "Trust me on this."

"Let's go!" Tori and a couple of other Dauntless bound into the dorms at that moment.

All of the transfers look a little confused, but the Dauntless-born jump up with broad grins on their faces. "About time you showed up!" Lance yells to Tori. He jerks a thumb at me, pointing me out. "This one was about to go leave to pick up a _jacket_ that he forgot somewhere."

Tori grins at Lance. "Good thing you kept him here. I think that jacket is locked up right now, and the person with the key, isn't there right now."

"What's going on?" I ask as we all leave the dorms at a quick pace.

"Dauntless tradition — a newer one, I must admit, since it started with my initiation class — but on your day off, those of us with siblings in the class take you on a little Dauntless adventure," Tori says slyly.

"What's the adventure?" I ask her, realizing that we are headed to the trains.

Tori shakes her head. "No, an even newer part of the tradition is that you transfers don't get to know what it is." She breaks into a run. "Hurry up, slowpokes! If you miss the train, you miss the fun."

I look beside me at Lance, but he is already ahead of me, racing to catch up to Danika, who is farther ahead of us on her way to the trains. I break into a jog trying to catch up with them.

It seems like no time at all before we are on top of the Hancock building. Danika grips my hand tightly; I find myself very thankful right now that I'm not afraid of heights. "I hate it up here. If I had realized that they do it this high up, I wouldn't have come," she mutters softly.

I tilt her chin up so that she is looking at me and promise her, "Look at me, not at anything else. We'll stay away from the edge. You'll be fine."

Danika closes her eyes and shakes her head quickly. "No, we'll be at the edge eventually. That's the only way down."

That's when I look around and start trying to figure out why we are up here. A tall man with broad shoulders, and a thinner, slightly shorter man about the same age are by the edge, working with another one of Tori's friends. I should know all of them, since they sit with Tori, but all I can remember is that the larger of the two men is married to her friend, Hana. Their names are gone.

"Come on, you need to meet the Pedrad clan. I know you've met Hana. She's not here this time because Eli would have a fit if his wife was on this roof while she's pregnant." Tori grins at me. "If there is one thing you can count on with Eli, it's his overprotective streak. Especially when it comes to Hana."

"Do you want to come with us?" I ask Danika softly. I don't want to force her to get closer to the edge than she is comfortable with.

She takes a deep breath. "Just don't let go of my hand."

Holding tightly to her hand, I walk Danika closer to the edge where they are working on setting up what look to be black slings that a whole body would fit into. "Georgie, meet some of my best friends here in Dauntless. This is Eli, Nick, and Leeann." She points first to Hana's husband, the broad-shouldered man with his lip and nose pierced, then to the smaller man, and finally to the lone female in the group. "Nick and Leeann are siblings, and Eli is their cousin."

I hold out my hand and shake each of theirs in turn. "Nice to meet you."

"Glad you decided to join us here in Dauntless," Eli says with a broad grin on his face. "I'm not sure Tori would have been fit to be around if you hadn't."

Tori laughs brightly.

Eli studies Danika for a minute. The smile slips from his face, and he suddenly becomes very serious. "Not big on heights?"

"Not really," she answers, embarrassed.

"You're Conner's sister, right?" he checks.

"Yes."

"Would it help if you went between Conner and George?" He noticed our clasped hands.

Danika takes a deep breath. I can tell she's about to try to put on some Dauntless swagger and deny it, but I want to make sure she is comfortable. "Danika, you're facing a pretty big fear. If it would help, let's do it."

She lifts her eyes to Eli's. "I'd like to go between them, but have Conner go first."

Eli nods once. "We'll be sure to set it up that way."

"Ready?" Nick asks Leeann.

"We're ready on this end," she confirms.

"Let's do it, Eli," Nick says with a grin like his cousin's.

Eli takes charge from here. "Members first! Nick is the first one off. Conner, I want you last of the members. After Conner it'll be the initiates: Danika, George, Lance, then the rest of you find your own place."

And just like that it is settled. No one questions Eli; everyone moves to follow his directions. That's when I remember the other thing I know about Eli — he's one of the people up for the open leadership position. The way that everyone responds to him, I can see why.

Nick shimmies into the first sling facedown, facing forward, and I realize what we are getting ready to do. We are going to jump off the building and zip line down to the bottom. I follow Nick with my eyes as long as I can while he rides down the cable. He quickly disappears and I suddenly wonder exactly how long this ride is.

All of the members slip into their slings as quickly as possible, jumping off the edge with excited yells and calls to one another. Before I know it, Conner is speaking softly to Danika as the person before him goes. "Don't worry, Dan, I'll be at the bottom waiting for you."

Danika nods, and I realize I'm about to lose the feeling in my hand from how tightly she is gripping it.

Conner is gone in an instant. Eli seems to spend just a little more time getting Danika into the sling. Leeann has been the one tightening most of the members in, but Eli makes sure to do Danika's himself. "I promise," he tells her softly, "you're safe. Wait until Conner tells you to, then unbuckle yourself. He'll make sure you land safely."

Danika nods, too frightened to speak. She lets go of my hand, listens to Eli's countdown, and then she is gone.

"Okay, George, let's pick up the pace. We have time to make up here." I smile and hurry to take my position in the sling, anxious to feel the wind on my face. My yell of excitement starts out as one of fear as there is a brief moment of freefall before I feel the line catch me. I soar over the street, watching it grow closer. I wonder if this is what a hawk, like Tori's tattoo, feels like when it rides the thermals. I wouldn't mind trying that. Of course a hawk rides a thermal up, and I'm riding a zip line down. Before I'm ready for it to end, my ride is over. I feel myself sway and hear Danika's voice, much calmer now, yell up at me. "Unbuckle and drop before anyone else gets here!"

"Yeah!" Tori chimes in. "Come on, Jonathan! Let's get a move on."

I glare down at my sister as I unbuckle myself. I guess it's better than Georgie, but still, did she have to say it when Danika is around?

"Jonathan?" Danika turns to Tori. I can see the gleam in her eyes from here. I'm going to hear about this.

Tori looks up at me and laughs as she answer Danika. "Yes, you heard me call him Jonathan. I'll tell you the story on the way back to Dauntless."

* * *

There is blood everywhere. I take a step back and realize I am standing in blood. Where did so much blood come from? Surely there are a hundred dead and dying people around me for the amount of blood splattered on the walls, pooling on the floor. My own heart is pumping harder, faster, trying to make up for the blood that is still and no longer coursing through a person's body like it should be. I try to take a deep breath to steady myself, but the smell makes me gag. The smell of blood makes it so much worse. I pull my shirt up over my nose in a feeble attempt to block it out. Think, George, think. What do I need to do?

I need to either find the source of the blood and stop it, or find a way out of here. I start looking again. This time I find the source of the blood and my heart stops.

Tori.

I move as quickly as I can to her, avoiding the blood that creates the trail to where she is propped up against the wall. Carefully, I find a clean spot and kneel by her. I swallow hard and gently put a hand on her neck. Her pulse is weak, but it is there. Tori is still alive.

I have to stop the bleeding.

How did Tori get hurt? Why would anyone hurt Tori? Tori, Tori… I hang onto her name and then suddenly, just like it happened in the aptitude test, I realize this isn't real. This is a look into one of my real fears, just like Tori had warned me.

If it isn't real, like the aptitude test isn't, then I can work with it to do what I want. With more confidence than I felt walking towards Tori, I walk over to the cabinets. I decide the supplies for a tourniquet will be in the second drawer from the end. When I open up the drawer, everything I need is there. I scoop up the supplies and head back to Tori, still careful to avoid the blood, even though I know it's not real. I still don't want it to touch me. There is a spot on her pants that's damp with blood, and I can see the blood oozing out from the material. That's where the tourniquet goes.

I concentrate on setting up the tourniquet instead of focusing on the blood or Tori. I'm almost finished when suddenly…

I'm back on the chair in the simulation room, with Jazz removing the electrodes that connect her to the computer. "I'll be right there, George." She has one of the most soothing voices I've ever heard, and I feel myself calming after my experience. "You did very well," her relaxing voice continues, and she starts to disconnect me.

"Tori?" The word flies out of my mouth before I can stop it. I shouldn't be asking about her.

Jazz says nothing about my slip, but instead smiles. "Everyone around here loves her, George. I'm sure Tori is fine." She removes the last electrode and I hop off the table. "But if you really feel the need to check on your sister, walk by the tattoo parlor on your way back to the dorm. Don't stop in, but I'm sure just seeing that she's alive and well would help right now."

I give her a weak smile, realizing she is friends with Tori and knows our relationship. "How long was I in there?"

"Not long compared to everyone else. You have the fastest time so far. Five minutes. The closest one to you right now took over twice as long. You did really well, George."

* * *

"George, we're starting with you today." Danika gives my hand a squeeze as Jazz motions me into the fear simulation room. "Harrison and Ben are going to watch yours, and they both have places to be this morning, so we'll get you out of the way so they can make it to their classes." Jazz closes the door as she finishes her explanation, and I walk in.

Ben and Harrison are already seated by the computer, electrodes in their hands. I watch as Harrison gives Ben directions, and together they work on hooking themselves up to the computer while Jazz hooks me up.

By the time she finishes and gives me the serum, she has just about enough time to hook herself up before I slip under and into the void.

It is dark. Pitch black. Blacker than black. The only time I've ever seen it this dark was the night when I was five and Tori and I stayed late at school. We knew Mom wouldn't be home, and Dad would understand that Tori was trying to get some extra credit work done for her teacher. I hung around like I always did. I just wanted to be with Tori instead of having to find Mom at work and sit with her. It was later than we thought when we started home. The sun was already setting and it was quickly too dark to see. The sky was cloudy. There wasn't even a star out to help guide us home. We got hopelessly lost in the factionless sector.

The sounds there were like nothing either of us had ever heard. They started and stopped at random intervals. One moment it sounded like footsteps, the next moment like a fight. Sometimes there were hushed voices. Other times it was eerily quiet.

This room is that dark. What I wouldn't have given for a flashlight that night.

What I wouldn't give for a flashlight now.

The thought of a flashlight spurs me into action as I realize once again this isn't real. All I need to do is make a few changes and it will all be over.

I picture there being four objects in the room. A light bulb, a candle, a lantern, and a flashlight. I have to find the flashlight because there is nothing to screw the light bulb into, and no match for the candle or the lantern. The only thing that will really help me is the flashlight.

I find the candle first, and then the flashlight. I take a moment to picture it having brand new batteries, and then turn it on.

I open my eyes to the bright lights of the simulation room. My heart is still pounding, but it is starting to slow down.

"How long?" I ask Jazz when I'm calm again.

"Just under four minutes. It's your best time so far."

* * *

"My first simulation was fear of the dark, too, but when I was trying to find something in the dark to create light, I couldn't find anything." Tori sounds puzzled that our experiences were different.

I can't help but laugh at how confused she sounds. "Seriously, Tori? Come on, it's easy. All you have to do is think about something and it will be there."

"No, it's not." Tori wipes more blood off my back. "I mean, it didn't just show up for me."

"I can make anything I want show up in a simulation." I try to think of a way I can prove this to her. Suddenly it comes to me. She's friends with Eli, one of the leadership candidates, and two of the trainer candidates. I believe Eli and Chaz, one of the trainer candidates, are scheduled to watch me tomorrow. "You're friends with Eli and Chaz, right?"

"Right," Tori agrees.

"I think the two of them are supposed to watch my fear simulation tomorrow. I'll put a hawk, like your tattoo, in the sky. Ask them afterward if they saw anything in the sky, and if either of them notices the hawk, you'll know I'm telling the truth." It's an easy fix. I can put a hawk anywhere, but it's also not something that would show up in most places.

"Deal," Tori answers. "And when they don't see any hawks, you have to stop talking about this foolishness of being able to change things in your simulations."

"It's not foolishness," I assure her. "I can do it."

* * *

Once when I was little, my tutor was sick and I had to go to Amity with Dad. They were having a problem with something in the orchards. Dad told me to look through the grass and find at least three things that were living or had been living, but I couldn't count the grass itself. The first thing I picked up was an apple. The second thing was, I thought, an odd-colored twig. When it moved, I screamed. It was a snake. I look around my legs now at all the snakes sliding and slithering over the ground. There have to be hundreds of them in all different colors and sizes.

I know why they are here. I've been waiting for them to show up. I hate snakes. I _despise_ snakes. I am terrified of those slithering, squirming things. I know they aren't slimy, and rarely are they poisonous. It doesn't matter that Mom and Dad had me do a report on them when I was eight, after discovering my fear. I am terrified of snakes. I take a deep breath, trying to figure out how to get rid of them. There has to be a way to make them go. I shift my weight so I can pick up a foot and stomp one of them. Maybe that would work to end the simulation. Then I remember what I told Tori, and I imagine the hawk in the air. I have to do a couple of lazy circles to make sure it gets Eli's attention. I had planned this out believing I would have two people to possibly see it and answer Tori's question, but Renee — not Chaz — is watching, and from what I can tell, Tori doesn't really know her.

Then it suddenly dawns on me; the best way to make sure Eli remembers the hawk is to _use_ the hawk. At the end of the next circle, I make the hawk dive and grab one of those wretched things in its claws. At my thought, the hawk climbs up higher and higher before dashing it to the ground.

I'm not out.

As I think about it, the hawk dives again and grabs another snake up with its claws; after climbing back up high enough, it drops this one to the ground to kill it, too.

Almost all of the snakes have been dashed by the hawk when I can finally open my eyes and look around the room. There are no snakes.

Eli stands over me, giving me an odd smile, and when I see him, I realize what it means.

I am out of the simulation.

 ***Depending on what publishing you read of Insurgent, you may or may not catch the joke here. If you read one of the books in the first publication, the fight scene with Tori and Jeanine at the end of the book goes like this…**

 _ **I yell. Jeanine releases a horrible sound—a gurgling, screaming, dying sound. I see Tori's gritted teeth, I hear her murmur her brother's name —"Jonathan Wu"—and then I watch the knife go in again.**_

 **However, before that, in Divergent, Tori did refer to her brother as Georgie:**

 _ **She lowers her voice. "In the second stage of training, Georgie got really good, really fast."**_

 **In later printings, they corrected the mistake and he is always referred to after that as George or Georgie by Tori. So Tori calling George "Jonathan" at this point in the story is really just a tongue-in-cheek joke that goes to the first printing of Insurgent and the mistake that was made in it.**


	3. Chapter 3- Rescue

**Thank you to everyone who reveiwed the last chapter.**

 **You can thank deetya11 for this update. Deetya11 is reading through The Blackest Sade of Gray right now, and left a review for George's POV, and since I can't PM it to her right now... you all get to enjoy the next chapter!**

 **There has been a discussion with The Blackest Shade of Gray about me publishing my "read and review" POV chapters as their own story. This is the original version that was too long to be sent out in a PM and was cut DRASTICALLY DOWN in editing so that it would fit. As a chapter, I don't have to worry about the 8,000 character limitation in PMs, it has grown in length from where it started. If you received the POV, I still recommend reading this. In my humble opinion, it is MUCH better than what you actually received with Chapter 29 of Dauntless Gray, and will give you a taste of what it might be like if I do go on ahead and create the requested "Random Voices" for my Dauntless Gray series. If you read Dauntless Gray/ The Blackest Shade of Gray, let me know in your review if you would be interested in me reworking and publishing the "read and review POVs" or not. The more interest there is, the more likely I am to do them. And Guests, remember this is the time for you to have your voice heard, too!**

 **(The * indicates where the original POV ended before I had to cut it down due to the PM limitation.)**

 **I was trying to put this up quickly at work, and I missed one very important thing when I orginally posted it. Thank-you, thank-you to BK2U for bettaing this story. I couldn't have done it without her help.**

 **Chapter 3 Rescue**

I lie down on my stomach and try to find a comfortable position. I really should have thought about the fact that I prefer to sleep on my back before I let Tori talk me into a tattoo that would cover the whole thing. The large tattoo, along with the jacket I leave on a regular basis, creates a perfect cover that allows us to see each other every day. I sigh and squirm a little bit more in my bed, hoping that I can find a spot that will work and let me get some sleep.

It was a little intimidating to have Nate, one of the Dauntless leaders, watch my fear simulation today. There's something about knowing that I am expected to get out quickly that is stressful. Fortunately, my fear of public speaking was easily overcome by creating an exit for most of the people to use; when there were only about five people left, I made them look like Tori, Danika, Lance, Jazz, and Harrison. It wasn't hard at all to stand up there and give a speech at that point. As soon as I opened my mouth, everyone disappeared. Three and a half minutes, I think, as I start to drift off. Not bad at all, if I do say so myself.

There's a hand over my mouth, and a soft voice speaks to me as I wake up. "George, it's Hana." I recognize the name and soft voice as belonging to Tori's friend. I follow her directions and sit up and pull on my shoes. My heart is thudding. Why is she getting me up in the middle of the night? Panic starts to consume me. Has something happened to Tori? I follow her quietly towards the Pit. The closer we get to Tori's apartment and the tattoo parlor, the more apprehension gnaws at me. Why doesn't Hana just tell me what's going on? **"** Is Tori alright?" I whisper. I can't take the suspense any longer.

"Tori is fine." Her voice is confident, but at the same time I get the distinct impression that she's edgy about something.

"What's going…?"

Hana stops me by placing a finger over her lips. She told me to be quiet, but I didn't realize she meant I had to be quiet even after we safely got out of the dorms without waking anyone up. I follow her through the Pit, back towards the net where I made my initial jump into Dauntless. Right before we get there, she stops at a door I never noticed before and she opens it up. "Follow the steps down to the chasm. Natalie is at the bottom. She'll explain everything to you when you get down there."

"Who's Natalie? What's going on?" I can't keep myself from asking her.

"Natalie will introduce herself. I don't know everything. Just go to Natalie. She can explain it all to you." Hana checks her watch. "I have to get back to the control room." Suddenly, she pulls me into a quick hug. I'm so stunned by her action that I find myself hugging her back, wondering why she would hug me goodbye.

I'm not sure why I do it, but I look back at the light one more time, watching it disappear as she closes the door behind me, and then I turn around and head into the darkness. I hate the dark, and this isn't a simulation where I can make a flashlight appear in my hand or have lights suddenly turn on to illuminate the stairway. I trail my hand along the side of the wall as I slowly make my way down the steps, each foot cautiously searching for the edge of the current step before trying the next one. There is a dim blue light at the bottom of the stairs. I keep my eyes fixed on that to stop my growing panic.

When I reach the bottom, there is a woman standing there that I've never seen before. She looks Dauntless in the same way Hana looks Dauntless. She wears black, but her hair is a normal color and she has no tattoos or piercings. "Hi, George, I'm Natalie. Be careful on the rocks. I'd hate for you to go into the water for real."

Into the water for real? What does she mean by that? She carefully picks her way over the rocks closest to the walls of the chasm. I try to watch where she places her feet and put mine in the same spots. She squeezes through a slim crevice and I follow her, overwhelmed by the opening full of light and space. I stop just inside and take it all in, eyeing the lockers that line one wall. Each locker has been painted with a different color to represent one of the factions. I cross my arms, deciding at this moment that I'm not going any further until this — whatever _this_ is — is explained to my satisfaction. Either Natalie tells me what is going on, or I'm turning right around and heading back to the dorms. Actually, scratch that, I'll stop by Tori's place to see if she has any idea what is happening. "Why am I here?"

Natalie pauses with her hand on the doorknob. "Just a little bit farther and I'll answer all your questions," she smiles and gives a small laugh, "and create a million more."

I cross my arms and stand still. I'm through following blindly.

Her fingers turn the knob, and she waits patiently for me to follow her. I don't. "George, we have to keep moving."

"Not until I have an idea of what is going on," I respond stubbornly.

"I'm trying to save your life," she finally admits after we have stared at each other for several long moments.

I look at her incredulously. All I can think is, I'm a sixteen-year-old kid. I haven't even become an actual member of my chosen faction yet. "Who would want to kill me?"

"Come with me, and I'll explain it all to you."

There's an old saying, 'curiosity killed the cat'. I hope it is _just_ the cat that it killed.

* * *

"In faction history," Natalie begins her story as she starts the small electric cart we are seated in, "they talk about the Dark Ages, the time before the factions were started. What do you remember about that?"

"Before the factions, men and women fought each other. Wars occurred over and over again. People blamed the wars on many things: religion, political ideology, nationalism, race. The founders of our city realized that it was the fault of our personalities. They created the faction system to help erase those faults, and we have been at peace ever since that time." I drone on in a fair imitation of my faction history teacher. I had faction history right after lunch, and he nearly put me to sleep every day.

I would say Natalie laughed as I finished, but it may have been a cough or a sneeze — I'm not really sure.

"The wars were worse than you realize, and the last war was much, _much_ worse. You, along with everyone else in the city, have been sheltered from the truth. You haven't seen the devastation that still exists outside of our city's walls nearly two hundred years after the last war. That last war, the Purity War, was fought by people who believed that we could end all wars and make people nearly perfect through genetic engineering, and those who didn't."

"You mean, they tried to change the genetics of people, the way Erudite works with Amity to improve the genetics of plants and animals?" I ask, disbelieving her tale.

"Exactly. They found out that in trying to make things better, they made things worse. Those who had the genetic engineering done to them and those who did not fought each other until there was almost no one left. Your ancestors volunteered and were selected to move into this city to let their genes heal. You and a handful of others have reached the stage of having healed genes." Natalie pauses in her narrative, stops the cart, and turns to look at me. "The problem is that someone in the city has found out about this, and they are afraid of whatever world exists outside of the fence. Whenever they can, they kill those of you who are healed to prevent you from passing on your genes."

I'm quiet as she starts moving again, contemplating the full import of her words.

"Okay, here's our first stop." Natalie parks the cart we've been riding in and starts to climb up a ladder to a trap door. She slowly cracks open the trap door, looking around cautiously. She must decide that everything is clear because she suddenly shoves it open and finishes crawling up, then motions for me to follow.

We're inside one of the largest Amity greenhouses. I've been in them a couple of times with my father, when he brought new fertilizers that he had been working on for them to try. "Let's go." Natalie walks purposefully through the dim structure into the starlit darkness outside. "We have a little bit of a walk to get to the rendezvous point. I'll explain more as we head that way. It will help the time go faster and prepare you for the outside world. It's like nothing you can imagine."

* * *

My excitement turns to apprehension as Natalie explains to me about the Bureau of Genetic Welfare, where she is taking me. The fact that our city is part of something much larger, that it is watched and monitored by people from the outside, and that it exists to allow people's genes to heal is a bit unnerving to me. I remember one summer, Mom signed me up for an internship working in the research labs. They were experimenting with rats, trying to create a vaccine of some sort. The Bureau personnel are apparently watching us much like we watched the animals in the lab experiments. I realize with clarity that I am less like a person and more like one of those lab rats to them.

"So, what is life like at this place you are taking me?" I ask to get my mind off that disconcerting thought.

"In some ways it will be a lot like the city. Nice, neat, clean, and orderly, as long as you stay at the Bureau. If you leave it, it's like the factionless sector, only worse — a thousand times worse. There are no abandoned buildings for them to use for shelter. They create their own shelter out of anything they can find. There is no Abnegation faction trying their best to help them. They are filled with people whose genetics are imperfect, and thus to some people, they are considered disposable."

I stop walking. She can't be serious. "People aren't disposable." I know some people in Erudite seem to think the factionless are, but they aren't, not really.

Natalie looks at me sadly. "I lived there, once upon a time. Trust me, they treat those people as if they are. You won't be, because they will consider you, like me, to be pure. Because of that, you will have a good job. You can stay here near Chicago, that's the name of our city, or you can go to another city if you don't want to be that close."

"Why would I want to leave?" I'm puzzled by the idea.

"Some people find it hard to be so close to their family and friends and yet not be able to communicate with them." This time it is Natalie that stops. She turns and faces me, her eyes boring into mine. "You will be able to see Tori on the monitors, but you won't be able to communicate with her. You won't be able to tell her you are alive. If you watch the city on those monitors, you will see what your death does to your sister. Most people find it too hard to see their friends and family mourn and eventually go on with their own lives, but they also find it too tempting not to watch it on the screens. So sometimes they leave to go somewhere else, anyplace where the temptation is gone, so they can start a new life."

She starts walking again, silent this time as she lets me absorb what she just said. I think about what it would be like for me if it was Tori who was suddenly dead, Tori who jumped into the chasm. I quickly turn my attention to the landscape we are passing through, unable to dwell on the thought of my sister being dead. "What is Co-ca Co-la?" I sound out the unfamiliar word.

Natalie groans softly. "The _only_ thing I miss about the Bureau. It's like that fizzy drink you have in Erudite, but it has a different taste to it. I don't know how to explain it, but I like it much better than the lemon-lime flavor they gave Erudite. You'll have to have a glass for me when you get there."

"You aren't going with me?" I start to panic. I may not know Natalie, but at least she's become familiar over the hours we've spent fleeing the city.

"I'm sorry, I have to return soon. My husband can only cover for me for so long. But I won't leave you until whoever is coming from the Bureau meets us. We're almost to the rendezvous point. In fact," she stretches out her hand and points to a light in the distance that grows steadily larger as it draws nearer to us, "that should be your ride now."

"My ride?"

"Yes, trucks have to stay a certain distance from the city so no one sees them. We're just about at the border of where they are allowed to come. I'll head back once I get you situated."

"Is there anything else I should know?"

Natalie keeps walking, a thoughtful look on her face. "You know the people in the city," she says softly. "Don't buy into the talk that they are damaged. Don't buy into the idea that _anyone_ is damaged. People are people. No one is perfect." The truck is closer now; I can see it dimly illuminated by its headlights. She seems to focus on whoever is in the driver's seat. "Even if they think they are."

We stop walking and wait for the truck to rumble to a stop. A man jumps out of the cab and practically bounds up to Natalie. "Natalie! So good to see you!" He hugs her enthusiastically. She hugs him back, but I think it is only because his arms are around her.

"David, this is George Wu."

"George." He extends his hand, and I shake it. "I trust Natalie at least gave you the outline of what we have going on here. I'm so glad she got you out in time. It would have been such a waste if anything had happened to you. Climb on in; we'll finish briefing you when you get to the Bureau. I'll be there in just a minute."

As I move towards the truck, I hear David talking to Natalie in a low, soft voice, and I strain to hear him. "Come back with me, Natalie. You don't have to go back. We can find someone else to send."

"There's no one else, David, and besides, this is my life now. My husband is still in the city."

I miss his response when I open the door.

"I will _not_ leave my husband. I made my choice to go, David, and you made your choice to send me in. Like I told you when I brought Lucas out, _this_ is my home now. Until the day I die, Chicago is my city." *****

David is quiet and seems somewhat upset as he drives us over the rutted path that passes for a road to the Bureau of Genetic Welfare.

He stops; a man I assume to be a guard sees David and gives him a quick salute. David acknowledges it with a nod of his head. The guard turns and shouts to the next one, and the doors swing open to us.

The buildings are low: two, maybe three stories high. They look like they are made of glass and metal, and they stretch out in all directions. There are a couple of tall towers with larger circular tops that stick up like glass flowers from squat stems.

David parks the truck and turns to me, finally remembering that I am here. "Sorry, my mind was a little preoccupied. I'm sure Natalie told you the beginnings of what you need to know. I'll have Alan continue telling you about it in the morning. Let's go." With that, he opens his door and leads me out into the new world.

I am coming off of my adrenaline high that has carried me this far, and a wave of fatigue overwhelms me. I don't even bother noting the signs showing the directions to various areas of what can only be a compound.

"Once upon a time," David suddenly starts speaking to me as if he is telling me a bedtime story, "the Bureau of Genetic Welfare was an airport."

"An airport?" I parrot the unfamiliar word back.

David gives a curt nod. "Air travel. People can travel through the air, although the area within view of your city is a very strict no-fly zone now. The old terminals were perfect for us to be able to set up to monitor not only your city, but some of the other experimental cities."

"There are more cities like mine?" I ask, amazed.

"There are _no_ cities like _yours,_ " David says proudly. "The rest of them are weak imitations. Not nearly as successful."

We reach a security checkpoint unlike anything I have ever seen before. There are armed guards standing around, and a tunnel that I will need to walk through. I take a deep breath, praying that although it seems to be small, it will not be dark.

David hands them a small gun that he draws out from the back of his pants. He motions for me to follow him.

We enter the tunnel one at a time. It is small but not dark; for that I am grateful. I stand there for a few moments while there is a whirling sound followed by a high-pitched beep. The guard motions me through and it is done.

A man five or six years older than me pops up from his seat when he sees us. "Is this George?" he asks David.

"Yes, this is George Wu. He can bunk with you for the next couple of days while he gets situated, then we'll find him his own place. Tomorrow, take him around and answer his questions. He started out as Erudite, so I'm sure he'll have quite a few. The next day, bring him to me."

"Sure thing." Alan waits for me to follow him. "Don't try to memorize your way around tonight." I look around, certain that as tired as I am, I wouldn't be able to if I tried. "I'll help you start figuring it out tomorrow."

* * *

I wake up the next morning with sunlight on my face. At first, I wonder how there can be sunlight underground. Then I remember I'm not underground anymore because I'm not Dauntless anymore; but if I'm not Erudite and I'm not Dauntless, then what am I?

"Good morning." Alan's voice is cheerful as he peeks his head into the room. "I thought I heard you up. Hurry up and get dressed. I think we can still get breakfast, although it may be lunch by the time we get there. I think this uniform should be about your size. If it doesn't fit, we'll take care of it after we eat."

Alan leaves me to change. My black clothes are wrinkled from traveling in them half the night and then sleeping in them the rest. I hold up the navy blue garments that are stacked on the chair. They are going to be too small, I can already tell. I hold up the pants first. They are a good four inches short. The shirt probably won't even button. I drape them over my shoulder and take them to Alan. My own clothes will have to do for now.

* * *

"Once we get to the main building, the signs will lead you to the cafeteria," Alan tells me as we wend our way through the housing area.

We follow the signs that say "Compound Main" until we get to that area. Then Alan leads me through the maze; all the signs I see mention cafeteria. I don't really care if they're serving breakfast or lunch, I just hope the food is good because I am starving.

I pick up on the sound of someone rushing towards us from behind, their steps echoing in a quick rhythm. "Alan!" A voice I think I've heard somewhere before, as familiar as a distant memory or dream, calls out. "Alan! Wait up!"

"She's going to be disappointed," Alan says quietly in a singsong voice, and turns around.

"I heard Natalie brought out someone from Dauntless last night." The voice is a little breathless and just outside of my ability to place. "Who is it?" A hand touches my arm and I turn around to face her.

She wears a navy uniform, like Alan, but she looks familiar. "Oh," her voice is disappointed. "You're a transfer."

I suddenly realize I'm looking at a ghost. "Ava?" It can't be. Ava was the head leader of Dauntless up until her death about a year ago. I remember Mom introducing me to her when Ava came to Erudite for a meeting with Norton and the Top Ten. Suddenly all of Natalie's talk about Tori thinking I'm dead makes perfect sense. My knees buckle just a little under me as I realize what my being here must mean to her: Tori thinks I am dead, just like everyone thinks Ava is dead.

I'm sure she knows by now that I am gone. How is Tori taking that?

 **If you like it remember to review!**


	4. Chapter 4- Disclosure

**When I published the last chapter I did it too quickly and I forgot something very important. I went back and fixed it, but... I forgot to thank BK2U, without her, you either wouldn't be reading this, or you'd be slogging through a story that hasn't had a Beta. So... thank you, from the bottom of my well used keyboard, to BK2U, for Betaing this chapter, and every other chapter in this story!**

 **I know a lot of people don't like the whole GD/GP part of Allegiant, but as you read this chapter, please remember this story is canon, so… it's in here.**

 **Chapter 4 Disclosure**

It's shortly before lunch and I wander aimlessly around the lab looking at it. It reminds me of home and the hours I spent as a kid acting as Mom's assistant, working over summer holidays and during other free time when I would have rather been outside playing. Alan had needed to stop by the lab to check on a batch of serum he's working on. He mentioned several times on the way over here how much he could use some help in the lab; I have a feeling he thinks he is subtly hinting at something.

I feel a soft hand on my arm. Ava is regarding me with a serious look in her eyes. "I remember when this happened to me and thinking this is the oddest question anyone ever asked me." Her smile is remorseful. "So I feel a little funny asking you, but I want to make sure you have the option just as I did. Your funeral is in about ten minutes. Would you like to watch it?"

My funeral. It hits me again: Tori thinks I'm dead. If she finds out I'm alive and I didn't tell her, she's going to kill me. I try not to smile at that thought. My funeral. Will anyone besides Tori even be there to miss me? Will she be standing there all alone mourning a brother who isn't really dead? I open my mouth to say no. I really don't want to see Tori alone in her grief, with nobody there to support her, but then I suddenly think of Danika and Lance. They will be there with Tori — I know they will. I think about the nights the four of us talked in the tattoo shop until Danika, Lance and I were almost late for curfew. Tori also has friends of her own. Surely they will be there for her, too. "Alan, is it okay if I go?"

"You don't have a job here, yet," Alan says casually, but the look he's giving Ava is anything but casual. It's questioning, like he's not sure she knows what she's doing. "So you can come and go whenever you want to, but you should know it isn't an easy thing, going to your own funeral."

"I'll be back," I promise, acknowledging his words with a solemn nod.

* * *

Ava takes me to what I think of as the control room, an area full of people whose job it is to keep track of what is going on in my city. The city _they_ call Chicago. There is a circle of TVs in an almost lounge-like area, set up for people to be able to watch when they are on breaks or off work. Ava finds a screen that is unoccupied; no one has settled around it yet to watch my city with a bizarre mixture of entertainment and curiosity while they eat their lunches. "Kay," Ava calls out to someone watching the screens that face away from the outer circle. "This is George Wu, he was pulled out last night from Dauntless. Can you put his funeral on the main screen?"

I see a dark blonde head nod briefly; the image on the screen quickly flips from Candor initiation, where a girl is hooked up to a lie detector and is answering questions, to the Pit. I have never seen the Pit so full of people. I never would have expected to see this many people show up for any funeral, except maybe a faction leader's, let alone a funeral for some boy who had just transferred. I scan the crowds looking for Tori. I realize quickly that she is standing near the front, with two of her friends next to her. I'm surprised that Hana isn't one of them.

"Tori is having some… problems with your death," Ava admits. "She had to be sedated last night after she trashed her apartment. At least that's what we've been able to gather from what we can see and overhear. There are no cameras in people's apartments or homes, so it's pretty much conjecture on our part."

I nod wordlessly, unable to speak. I find Danika and Lance where I hoped they would be, near Tori. I thought my friends being near her would help her to realize she isn't alone, but when Danika puts a hand on Tori's arm and looks like she's about to hug her, Tori pulls away from her. It's then that I notice a brown bottle in Tori's hand. An amber liquid sloshes from it as she moves.

I look to Ava inquiringly. She seems to know my question without being asked. "Dauntless have a tendency to drink alcohol at funerals. It helps them to forget that when you are busy being brave, often you take chances that you wouldn't ordinarily take, and the next funeral could be yours."

"Why so many people?" I finally find my voice.

"It surprised me the first time, too." Ava gives me a knowing smile. "It isn't logical to have so many people there who never met you and don't know you or your family. Although in your case, more people than you realize know Tori from her job. There are so many deaths — young deaths — in Dauntless that the whole faction just comes together. Everyone is there to support everyone else. Coming from Erudite, you must think it is a little odd, that death shouldn't take up so many resources."

I almost smile at her choice of words. It sounds a lot like Mom. May, a girl from my class, had a grandparent die when we were eight. Mom wouldn't let me go to the funeral. She said I wasn't close enough to May for my presence to help her, so it wasn't a logical use of resources for me to go. "How do you know about Erudite funerals?"

"I transferred from Erudite myself."

Nate, the last leader to watch my fear simulation, steps up onto a box placed near the railing by the chasm. "Funerals always take place at the chasm," Ava tells me before Nate starts to speak.

I don't know what I thought I'd hear for my cause of death. It didn't really dawn on me until right now that when the people here told me I was dead, they really meant everyone _back home_ thinks that I am dead.

Suicide. The one death they could have given me that I don't think Tori will ever believe. She knows how happy I was in Dauntless.

Tori knows I was falling in love. That I was seeing someone, even if we tried to make sure no one realized it.

Tori knows I would never leave her like that.

I don't hear much of what Nate has to say as I focus on Lance, Danika and Tori. When it is over, Lance joins in yelling my name, and he raises his brown bottle to the sky. Danika does, too, but she doesn't yell. It looks like she is fighting back sobs.

Tori does nothing. Just stands there with clenched fists. Then I watch a single word form on her lips, and it's not my name: "Murder." Tori believes I am dead.

But I'm right: my sister knows that I wouldn't kill myself.

* * *

I try to go back to the lab after the crowd in the chasm disperses, but my mind and my heart just aren't in it. I find myself back at Alan's apartment. I keep thinking about Tori, about how… angry she looked. How positively livid she seemed. Something...

"This is why I didn't want you to go to your own funeral," an aggravated Alan interrupts my thoughts.

I look at him, blinking in confusion. I didn't know he had rejoined me back in his apartment. How long has he been standing there?

"That bad?" he asks sympathetically as he sits down.

I rest my elbows on the table and my hands on my forehead. "Worse. My sister is…"

"Ahh…" He lets the word trail off, and we sit in a comfortable silence for a while.

"It's not fair. Why are they stuck there? Why can't she know I'm alive and come here and be with me?" I lift my head and stare at Alan. Daring him to explain this to me.

"Let me talk to David," he says slowly. "It might be best if we finish explaining all of this to you."

* * *

"Are you ready for this? Are you ready for all of this?" Alan asks me. He holds a tablet in his hand.

"I'm ready," I assure him.

David is a very busy man; it took Alan over a week to speak to him about teaching me about what happened. It took another couple of weeks for him to decide how to tell me the history he's always known but which I have never learned.

"I hope you're right," he mutters under his breath. The room we are in is round, with a chandelier hanging brilliantly from the center. The walls are covered in glowing bronze sheets. He moves over to the wall and I realize there are names written all over it. I move closer so I can see them, too. It startles me when I start seeing names I know. Alan's long finger traces along a section of wall and suddenly his eyes light up. "This might make it easier." His finger has stopped on one name.

Mine.

"You were born Erudite. What do your parents do?"

"Mom is part of Norton's Top Ten," I begin. A small smile creeps onto Alan's face. "Dad is a genetic engineer. He works with Amity on creating better strains of crops, usually, but he also works with fertilizers and things like that when he is between projects."

"Excellent." The smile almost stretches off Alan's face. "This isn't going to be so hard to explain after all. This room contains the names and faction information of everyone who is part of the Chicago experiment. He shows me Mom's name. There are two "E"s carved next to it, and Dad's name has two "E"s carved by it. Then he traces the line by Mom's name to Grandmother's, and I blink in shock. Next to Grandmother and Grandfather is "DE".

"Your Dad's mom is a 'DE', too," Alan explains.

I look at Tori's name. "ED" and mine, "ED*"

I touch Tori's name and look up at Alan. "Erudite, Dauntless."

"Exactly."

"Why does mine have a dot and hers doesn't?"

"We'll get there soon. Let's go to the next room where we can sit down." The next room is full of books and tables, like the study lounges back in Erudite. He points to the table and we both move to it and sit down. He sets the tablet down next to him. "Tell me, what is the purpose of genetic engineering?"

"To create more desirable offspring. For example, Dad is working to develop a strain of corn that is more resistant to Diplodia ear rot."

"How long has he been working on it?" Alan asks, leaning forward in his chair.

"I don't know for sure. He's been working on it as long as I can remember — at least twelve years, I guess. I mean, that's not all he does; obviously he works on it, and then once it's planted he has to wait to see if it worked, then he works on it again. But he can only plant it certain times of the year, and of course there are years when he thinks he has it because nothing happens, but then the next year the weather conditions are different and it's worse than ever."

"Exactly." Alan leans back very satisfied with my answer. "It takes generations to see the effect of genetic engineering. A few centuries ago, the government started mapping genes and trying to figure out if it was nature or nurture that decides how people act. They discovered there are certain genes that seem to have an effect on people's behavior. One of those genes is called the murder gene."

I stifle a gasp. It's pretty easy to guess what someone with the murder gene would be prone to do. "And the people with it?"

"Were found to be more prone to acts of violence. Some people tried to downplay it by calling it the 'warrior gene', but it doesn't matter what you call it; the people who had it were more likely to kill, and kill violently, than people who didn't. They did studies in prison communities…"

I stop him, like I so often do when he gives me a new piece of information.

"Prison?"

Alan gives a small laugh. "Sorry, forgot that was another one you probably wouldn't know. Prisons are entire buildings full of cells to house criminals."

"There were so many criminals you had to have a whole building, not just a couple of floors of mostly empty rooms?" I'm amazed.

Alan shakes his head at me. "George, I hate to tell you, but there are still entire compounds with multiple buildings that are used just to house people who break the law." He shakes his head sadly. "Only these days, they are mainly full of GDs who have perpetrated crimes against GPs."

"GDs? GPs?" I parrot back. I've heard the term before, but I still have no idea of what he is talking about.

"Stands for Genetically Damaged and Genetically Pure. We'll come back to that later. Where was I?" His brows create a "V" as he tries to remember.

"They did studies in prison communities…"

He nods his thanks so he doesn't lose his train of thought. "In these studies, they found there were some gene mutations in monoamine oxidase A, or MAOA, that were found in the violent population and not in the non-violent population. Anyway, we started there, fixing the gene so that the people prone to violent acts could be stopped and everyone would be safer."

"Did it work?" I think about Natalie's comment that I shouldn't buy into the idea that anyone is damaged, but what Alan is saying makes sense. If there is a gene that is damaged and makes people violent, isn't that person damaged?

"After some time, it did work. Then we moved on to the idea that maybe we could make people more honest, more selfless, friendlier…"

With a smile I finish for him with the two factions I lived in. "Smarter, braver."

"Exactly. You have the right idea. Only… they started with too large of a population, and didn't control the experiment and the variables well enough. And this went terribly wrong. We ended up discovering that as you improve some traits you lose others. You lose motivation, compassion, and self-preservation, to name a few. They realized it wasn't a success. Criminal activity, which had been reduced when we repaired genes like the murder gene, suddenly was out of control. And it always came from the people descended from the group that we thought had been improved." Alan shakes his head. "It was decided that something had to be done about it. That we had to return people back to their normal state, but before we could really get started on that, the unthinkable happened. They found out what was planned, and a war started." Alan touches his tablet several times opening up to a map of what I have been told is the United States, the country that I didn't even know I lived in two weeks ago. "We call it The Purity War, and it decimated our population. The darker the red, the more people in that location. This is the country before The Purity War." The map shows every shade of red from pale pink to crimson.

The area that has been pointed out to me as Chicago, my city, is a deep crimson.

"This is the effect of The Purity War." Alan touches the screen and everything starts to change. I concentrate on Chicago and watch the color fade like a body being drained of its blood.

It stops when Chicago is almost white. I look at the rest of the country. There is nothing darker than a pale pink in the East, and the Western part of the country is solid white, like no one lives there anymore. I look up at Alan in shock.

"After centuries of peace," Alan tells me softly, "We almost totally destroyed ourselves."

My mind is ready to explode by the time Alan finishes telling me about the volunteers after the war who agreed to have their damaged genes repaired. "We didn't want to make the same mistake, so we took some large towns and rebuilt them with fences."

"And you locked them up in there to see what would happen." Part of me is appalled to realize this is why I am where I am.

"And we're starting to see success from it." Alan smiles at me. "We're finding more and more people like you who are Divergent."

"Divergent?" I repeat the meaningless word.

"People who show signs of healing are called Divergent. That's why your name has the dot next to it and Tori's doesn't."

"How did you know?"

"Your simulations tell us. If you are aware of what is going on during the simulations, your genes are healed."

"And you pull us out?"

"Not usually." Alan shakes his head at me. "Usually we leave people there, so they can pass on their genes. If you look at some of the families in there, you'll find dots being passed on. You appear to be the first person in your family with healed genes. I would guess that Tori's are close and that her children probably will be. But we couldn't leave you in there because someone has learned about the Divergent and is killing them."

"And because of my fear simulations."

Alan agrees solemnly. "They figured out what you are, and if we hadn't pulled you out that night, there's a good chance you would really have been discovered dead the day after initiation was over."

 **Thank you for reading. Please leave a reveiw and let me know what you think of it.**


	5. Chapter 5 Tipping point

**Thank you to everyone who took the time to review this last chapter.**

 **And thank you to BK2U for her willingness to Beta my little story.**

 **Chapter 5** **-** **The Tipping Point**

I left Erudite for a reason, I think bitterly while I finish looking over the lab report. I need to submit it to Alan before I go home tonight, so he can look it over first thing tomorrow before turning it in to our boss. I put the report in Alan's inbox and turn off the lights as I leave, since I am the last one in here tonight. The thought of being stuck in a lab day after day was one of the reasons, besides the fact that Tori had already left, that I knew I would never stay in Erudite. If there were fieldwork or something else to break up the monotony of lab work it would be better, but the walls never change and they're constantly pressing in on me.

I glance at the screens that show Chicago as I walk by the control center. The main screen shows many grey-clad Abnegation setting up the Choosing Ceremony bowls. "Choosing Ceremony again tomorrow," Kay observes to a co-worker while she shakes her head. "Hard to believe it's been a year already."

My breath catches. As soon as I am around the corner where they can't see me, I press my back against the wall and slowly let myself slide down. A year. I've been gone for almost a year. I close my eyes, blocking out the world around me as I think about the past year.

It has been both easier and harder than I thought it would be on the first day I arrived here, shell-shocked and unsure of exactly what was going on. Alan has been a big help — my surrogate sibling. The stand-in for Tori, he's taken me under his wing and explained things to me the way I think she would have if I had been able to stay in Dauntless with her.

Alan has steered me away from making mistakes, like the day I saw a girl that reminded me of Danika and tried to talk to her. He was the one who gently pointed out to me that she wears a green working uniform, not blue; she is genetically damaged, therefore I should make sure to stay away from her. He explained to me that I should never become entangled with someone who is GD, and patiently made sure I understood the importance of GPs sticking together with GPs. Later that day, I watched her lose her temper at one of her GP supervisors. She threw the first thing should could find at him. Fortunately it was only the dust rag she had in her hand, but Alan pointed out to me how it was just proof that she, and the other GD like her, don't know how to react to conflict.

It troubled me that, according to them, Tori is a GD, but the more I watched her this year, the more I realized they are right. Tori is flawed. There is so much that she doesn't handle correctly. I love my sister, and there isn't much I wouldn't do to be back with her. But still, she is flawed, damaged. The Bureau is right to try to find a way to help her, a way to fix her genetics.

Maybe that's why I stay in the lab. I want to help them find a way to help people like Tori as quickly as possible. A shortcut to healed genes so that we can be together again. She's my sister, and I love her the way she is, but if she were perfect, like I am… it would be so much easier.

"Are you okay?" Ava's voice cuts into my thoughts.

I open my eyes and see her crouched in front of me. Another person who has taken me under her wing. She's no longer a Dauntless leader, and by the time I joined Dauntless she was already at the Bureau. But as Lucas, a boy who was removed from Dauntless the year before me confided, Ava was always a mother figure to the faction. Just because we aren't in Dauntless anymore, it doesn't mean she no longer sees herself as our mother, even if we were never in the faction at the same time.

"I just realized it's been almost a year since I was taken out," I say hoarsely. "I'd lost track of time."

Ava smiles sadly. "It's easy to get caught up in our lives here and forget about what is going on back home, isn't it? How is Tori doing these days?" she asks without waiting for an answer to her first question.

"She's gotten better," I say quickly, not wanting to admit I really don't know how Tori is doing these days. She was a wreck when I first left. Her drinking and temper helped prove to me that Alan was right, that the GP and GD are different. Tori's behavior became a piece of what convinced me that the Bureau knows what they are doing in keeping the Chicago experiment contained within the safety fence while genes heal.

"Good," Ava answers with an odd smile on her face. "I'm glad to hear she's doing better. Anniversaries have a tendency to be hard on the people we leave behind. On the first anniversary of my "death", my husband spent time by the chasm just staring out into it. For a moment or two I was afraid he was going to jump in an effort to join me, but about the time he put his foot on the bottom rail and looked ready to hoist himself up, our daughter showed up with our grandchildren, and…" Ava blinks away some tears.

"I haven't watched Tori recently," I admit on a whim. "I'm trying to fit in with my new life, and it has been too hard to watch her alternate between struggling and moving on."

Ava looks at me with understanding. "It's as hard on us to be dead as it is on them to believe that we are."

* * *

As a rule I do try to avoid the control room, where so many people congregate to see what is going on in Chicago. It bothers me that it seems to be entertainment to those who have never lived there. Sometimes I think they don't realize that the residents of the experiment are real people living and dying. I worry about people extracted from the city, like Lucas. He's been here a year longer than me, but doesn't seem to be able to let go of our old home. He watches every night, flipping cameras until he finds a family member or a friend, and then he watches them like they are his lifeline, the only thing that keeps him in touch with reality.

My death was faked so late at night that I hope Lucas and the gawkers will be gone for the evening when I get there. I need to see Tori. To see if, like Ava's husband, she contemplates joining me in my supposed death. Only her death would be real, not faked, if she does that.

Thankfully, the only people here are the ones on duty. I find a private area and sit down, finding the camera with the best view of the chasm and settling in to see if Tori shows up. Part of me hopes she doesn't. Part of me knows that if she doesn't, it means one of two things: she's started moving on, or she's drunk in her apartment. I don't know which of those ideas alarms me more.

I sense someone sitting down next to me, and I know without looking that it's Ava. I don't mind Ava being there. She's been more of a mom to me than mine was. Not as much as Tori was when we were kids, but it is nice to have a mother figure here in such a foreign place.

Tori shows up about five minutes before the time I "jumped". I'm pleased to see that she is walking steady and sure. I'm relieved that she doesn't put a foot on the railing, but leans on it with her arms and looks down at the churning water below. She isn't there long before Hana shows up.

"What's the deal with Hana? Is she from here like Natalie?" I ask Ava as they talk.

"No, Hana was born in the city, just like you and me. As far as anyone can tell, she's not Divergent." I notice again how Ava clings to the terms of the city. She never refers to someone who is Genetically Damaged as GD like Alan, they are simply 'not Divergent'. Someone who is Genetically Pure isn't GP to her, even if they were never part of the city experiment, they are always 'Divergent'. "David explained to me that Hana works in the control room, and she somehow noticed that Natalie wasn't what she seemed to be. She would recognize Natalie when she was dressed in the wrong faction colors and in the wrong place. Natalie decided to recruit her, and she's been helping her ever since."

I see Tori and Hana embrace. It's good to see, since I know at one point Tori seemed to blame Hana for my death. I didn't want to be the cause of the end of their friendship. Tori needs all the friends she can get.

When Tori walks off, I realize I'm a little disappointed that neither Danika nor Lance showed up to be there for my sister, to take a moment and mourn me. I guess that means they are moving on; I suppose I should be glad.

* * *

"The samples that we take today from the fringe will help us to see where people are with the healing process when they aren't part of an experiment. There are a few people in the general population that were given the same healed genes as the people in the experiments were, but we lost track of them a long time ago," Alan explains to me as we bounce in the back of the truck. "About every ten years or so, we offer food and clothing in exchange for a little blood so we can take a look and see if there is any change in the percentage of genetic healing that we find in the population."

"How does it look?" I tilt my head, interested in what he has to say.

"Not very good," Alan admits as the truck rumbles to a halt. "The percentage seems to either stay the same or decrease. At least that's what my experience indicates, along with the records I've looked over from the past. It looks like the people who were given the healed genes either didn't have children or died. Or maybe it was their kids who died. It doesn't really matter. The percentage we see here isn't growing in the fringe like it is in the experiments."

"Look at their living conditions," Ava mutters bitterly before turning around from her spot next to the driver. "We're almost there. When we get there, everyone needs to stay close together. After our lives, the most important thing we get out with are the blood samples. If we end up with problems and have to evacuate, take all the samples you can grab and evacuate. Don't worry about any of the rest of the equipment."

"But nothing is going to happen," Alan gives Ava a withering glare and takes over, "So plan on bringing out everything that you take in, plus the blood we collect." He starts making assignments as we draw closer and closer to the drop off point. I end up with a bag containing two hundred and fifty needles and a bag that is insulated to store the blood samples.

I also end up with a gun that Ava hands me despite Alan's protests. "He was training for Dauntless. He knows how to use a gun, and if something happens you'll be glad we have another person who's armed. If nothing happens, then it doesn't matter."

After we stop, we walk through makeshift homes. It surprises me when I see how young everyone looks. If I had to guess, I would say there are more people here younger than my seventeen years than older. We walk close together, Alan making his announcement as we walk through. "Follow us. We have food and clothes if you need them. All we want in exchange is to take a little of your blood for testing."

Everyone here reminds me of the factionless population — gaunt, pale, beaten down — but unlike the factionless population at home, Alan's offers of food and clothes don't appear to be tempting. No one follows us to wherever Alan is leading us. "Why isn't anyone coming?" I ask Ava in a hushed tone while I look around.

"Because no one _trusts_ them," Ava says coldly. "The Bureau has done things to these people to destroy what little trust they have in humanity."

"Like what?" My curiosity forces me to ask the question.

"Like nothing." Alan injects his view into the conversation.

"Look at how they live!" Ava counters indignantly.

"They chose it," Alan replies with casual indifference.

"They chose it?!" Ava fairly howls. "Would you have chosen to live like this if there was a better option?"

"They have other options. They could live in one of the cities." Alan remains calm.

Ava huffs, "These kids are not Divergent. There's not much of a life for them in the cities, either."

A young boy about ten years old comes up to us. "What do you have to eat?" he questions Alan.

Alan pulls out a bag of jerky to tempt him. "I have beef jerky, for one thing."

The boy pulls out a crude knife. "I'll take the jerky and the bag it came from." He holds the knife out to stab Alan.

I act on instinct, grabbing the boy's arm and wrenching it behind his back. "Drop the knife."

A weird, piercing whistle sounds from the boy's lips.

"Everyone out!" Ava yells. Apparently, she knows what is about to happen.

I turn to follow Ava's direction, but Alan stands there, frozen. Urchins — I don't know any other name to describe them — stream out from everywhere. I grab Alan's arm and roughly pull him along with me, back towards the van.

He stumbles and pulls against me, like he thinks he can go back and reason with them, that he can still accomplish his goal today of getting blood samples.

The mob starts pelting us with anything they can find: mud, rocks, unidentifiable pieces of trash. Both Alan and I are hit several times, but I keep a firm grip on him, and when we make it back to the van I push him into it in front of me, afraid that if I leave it up to him, he'll still try to go back.

" _That,"_ Alan declares hotly, "is why you never trust someone who is Genetically Damaged. I offered him food and he turned on us. He drew a knife on the people who were going to help him!"

Ava shakes her head at Alan, and turns in her seat to look at me, changing the subject as she does. "I could use your help."

"What do you need?" I ask, wondering why she is asking me instead of Alan.

"I need you to come back to Chicago with me."

I stare at her openmouthed. There is no way I just heard her right.

"They gave the fear simulation that landed you here to our whole faction during the last few weeks. There is a mass exodus planned for the Divergent. I need everyone I can gather who is familiar with the city, and if possible with Dauntless, to come with me and help with some of the work for the extraction."

I think about the boredom I feel on a daily basis in the lab, and about the excitement of being in the field today. Even if some of it was because things went wrong, it's better than staring at the walls all day. "Count me in."

* * *

We gather at the meeting point an hour before we are supposed to leave to help with the exodus from Chicago. They want to give us some time to go over the plan and to meet with the people that we don't yet know but with whom we'll be working today.

"We're leaving now!" Ava's voice is harsh as she rushes in to join us.

"What?" Lucas stops his conversation with a woman I don't recognize.

"There's been a real train accident involving our train." Her voice is agitated. "We don't know what is going on. David is gathering medical supplies and a medical team to send out to us, but we're going. Now."

"How bad is it?" Lucas looks panicked. His older sister is on that train.

"I don't know. I don't think anyone knows yet. We don't know if there's just been a small accident or if someone on the other side figured out what was going on and there's been a real accident similar to what we had planned. Chicago natives, on the truck with me. Support, to your own truck," Ava commands. "Medical personnel will join us with the medical trucks. We can't wait for them. We're leaving. Move out."

We all clamber up into the trucks following Ava's command. There are more people from Chicago than I had realized. There's a couple holding hands that I don't think I've seen before. The man, Darren, I vaguely remember from Erudite. He was in Tori's class and had, I thought, died in a car accident outside the library less than a year after his initiation.

The woman I'm sitting next to is the one that Lucas was talking to earlier. She looks like she came from Dauntless. There is a tattoo of a rope of flames that circles each arm just below her shirtsleeves. She is powerfully built. "I'm Trina," she introduces herself in a low voice. "And this is my husband—"

"Darren," I say his name quickly. "You were in my sister Tori's class."

Darren looks at me for a moment and smiles slowly. "Georgie."

I groan. Tori's hated nickname follows me, even out here. "I prefer George."

"That's right, you always made a face when Tori called you that. Is she one of the ones we're getting out today?" He sounds interested.

"If she is, no one has told me," I say, letting myself wonder for the first time.

"Then she's not," Trina says bitterly. "I asked about my younger sister, and I was informed that if she was, they would have already told me."

Darren rubs her arm soothingly. "She's safe in there, Trina."

"It's not about her being safe, and you know it." Tears glitter in Trina's eyes.

"I know, but I'm sure Kelly knows you love her, and she's forgiven you by now," Darren says reassuringly.

Suddenly, Trina turns on me hopefully. "Did you know Kelly?"

"I'm sorry, I was pulled out during initiation. I didn't meet too many people outside of my class." I find myself wondering what the story is between her and her sister, and why she wishes she could see her so badly. "I haven't seen you around the Bureau." I change the subject to what I hope is a safer topic.

"Trina and I left the Bureau, we live in Milwaukee now. I'm a teacher and Trina works in the fire department. We're here just for the day. Ava requested as many of us from Chicago as she could get. She had planned on us talking to them about what life on the outside is like, but now…" Unsure of what we are going to be doing since there is a real accident, Darren's voice trails off.

We are all unprepared for the train wreck. It was supposed to be a nice, neat, organized situation that was totally under control. Instead, it is barely controlled chaos. There are groups of injured people clustered around. Amity healers move within some of the groups.

The worst is the line of unmoving people laid out in rows, mimicking the train tracks that they are laid out near. I don't want to think about why they aren't moving.

Lucas jumps out of the back of the truck before it even comes to a complete stop and runs towards the chaos, yelling his sister's name as he goes. When it is my turn to jump out of the back, I notice a lone figure in Dauntless black running away from the scene. I'm about to point it out to Ava, but something stops me. There is something about the size of the person running, and the fact that she looks pregnant, that makes me think of Hana, and Hana works for Natalie. If it is her, I would imagine that Natalie is the one who sent her away. So I let her run away without pointing her out to anyone, and jump out of the truck waiting for directions.

Natalie limps up to us. I wonder for a moment if she was in the train wreck, but her navy outfit identifies her as being with either the Bureau or Erudite, not Dauntless. "Ava!" Natalie gives her a quick hug.

"What happened?" Ava asks her as they part.

Natalie sighs heavily. "I'm not completely sure. The train didn't slow down for the curve, but it was this morning with everyone on it, not this afternoon running the other direction, when it would have been empty."

"Someone got their timing wrong." Ava's voice is hard but hopeful.

"I wish I could believe that," Natalie says weakly. "But it's the wrong time of day, going the wrong direction, and… we can't find the engineer. I'm afraid they jumped out and left the train to crash."

Ava's eyes close for a moment, then open with determination in them. "What do you want us to do?"

"We've started triage. There are four groups. The Amity healers are with Group One. Do you have a medical team with you?"

"They are a little behind us. We weren't expecting to need them, so they are being gathered up right now."

"Anyone with you that has any medical training?" Natalie asks hopefully.

"You were both raised Erudite. How much medical training do you have?" Ava checks with Darren and me.

Darren answers first. "Basic, but Trina is an EMT with the fire department."

"Trina and Darren, go help the Amity healers," Natalie directs.

"George?" Ava turns her attention to me.

"Mom wanted me to be a doctor, and I've taken first aid, but I'll warn you, I don't handle blood well," I answer truthfully.

Natalie smiles at my response like she knows about my fear simulation. "Why don't you go find Group Four and check them over. As long as they are okay, send them over to me so we can start talking to the Divergent survivors about what is going on. If the medical staff isn't here yet when you're done, move on to Group Three. We'll try to keep you away from blood as much as possible."

"What are you going to do with the non-Divergent?" Trina asks softly.

"If their Divergent spouse is dead, we'll give them the memory serum. If they are alive, we'll talk to both of them about what their options are." Natalie takes a long slow breath. "It's going to be a long, hard day."

* * *

Natalie's prediction about a long, hard day was optimistic. The Divergent who are single, and those whose spouses died in the wreck, are the first group to leave. The singles in the group look shell-shocked, but better than the newly created widows and widowers who have a glazed, uncomprehending look about them.

As they climb up into the trucks that will carry them to the outside world, I notice a confrontation between Ava and a redheaded woman. "I'm not going," the redhead declares hotly to Ava.

"Marley, you can't go back," Ava says patiently.

"Don't you see, at least one of us _has_ to." The redhead's voice is determined.

"No, I don't," Ava returns shortly. "They are trying to _kill_ you, Marley. You have to get out of there, now."

"If _all_ the people who are Divergent die, it will look too suspicious. If even just one of us survives, it raises the possibility that all of us traveling somewhere together could have just been a coincidence," she argues back.

"George!" Ava spots me and waves me over.

"Yes?"

"Can you go find Natalie? Let her know I need her because we have an _extremely stubborn_ lady here who thinks she doesn't need to leave with the rest of the Divergent." Ava glares at Marley the entire time she speaks to me.

I head off to find Natalie, leaving the two of them to their staring match. Marley does have a point, I think to myself. Having one or two of them go back is a good idea to throw them off track, but I'm not sure it is worth the risk. "Natalie." I wait until she finishes with the person she is speaking to before I speak up.

"What's up, George?" Natalie looks decades older than the day she got me out of Dauntless.

"Ava said to let you know she needs your help. One of the Divergent is being 'extremely stubborn' and refuses to leave," I inform her in a low voice.

"Who?" she asks worriedly.

"I think I heard that her name is Marley. She's the redhead talking to Ava." I point her out.

" _Marley?_ " Natalie sounds shocked. "She was one of the ones in on the plan. What is she thinking?"

I follow Natalie as she heads toward them, unsure if I need to, but too curious to see what is going to happen to stop myself. As soon as she reaches them, Natalie begins. "Marley? What is going on?"

She takes a deep breath. "You need to send me back, like this, injured." She points to the white bandage on her face that is already seeping blood.

"Why?" Natalie asks patiently.

"If Erudite did this and all the Divergent die, and the only survivors are non-Divergents, it will seem too suspicious. It will confirm for them that they were right. They will keep watching and keep killing Divergents. But if even one of us survives, it will raise the question of whether it might have been just a coincidence that all of the Divergents on their list were headed out somewhere together, and that _almost_ all of us died. So I go back, injured. I'm going to be scarred." Marley takes a deep breath, tears gathering in her deep green eyes. "I'm going be hideous. No one is going to want to look at me. If this was real, I'd leave Dauntless. I'd become factionless rather than take their pity over my ruined looks. So it will make it all the more convincing to Erudite when that happens."

A comprehending look starts to cross Natalie's face. "How long do you plan on staying?"

"How long do you think is safe? I stay just shy of that and then become factionless. I hang around for a week, maybe two, let the factionless patrol see me, and then I disappear. Just another lost member of the factionless. No big deal."

Natalie purses her lips together as she thinks. "That's a risky plan."

Marley gives a derisive laugh. "It's just me. No one important. And looking like this?" She points again to the white bandage. "I really don't care if something does go wrong."

"You'll check in with Hana as soon as you can." It's a command, not a question.

"It's okay for Eli to know what is going on, too, isn't it?" Marley verifies.

"Yes." Natalie pinches the bridge of her nose, like she's trying to relieve a pressure that is building up there. "You should definitely let Eli know, too. It's probably going to take both of them to get you out of there."

There are odd sights everywhere I look. Lucas disappeared to find his sister as soon as he left the truck. The first time I see him after that, Trina has her arms around him. I'm afraid of what that means.

There is one woman in a red t-shirt and yellow overalls who holds a young boy in black. He looks like he's getting too big to be held, but she holds him and talks to him with their foreheads touching. Suddenly he looks around and yells, "Mom-ma! Daddy!"

Zoe, a young girl who works at the Bureau, comes over and talks to them. She points the woman over to the rest of the Amity and the GDs who aren't coming with us. She starts separating them into groups. The only exception is the Amity woman and the Dauntless boy, who seem to be their own group.

Natalie wanders over and she and Zoe talk for a few minutes. It doesn't seem to be a very friendly discussion. Zoe walks over to the mismatched pair. The Amity woman allows Zoe to give the little boy a drink from a vial, before taking her own vial. Zoe turns her back for a moment, and it almost looks like the woman dumps the liquid out, but as I watch her she reacts like the rest of them. Ava had told us there was only one child leaving, and the only reason he was leaving was that both of his parents were Divergent. If I had to guess, both of his parents must be dead, so they are going to send him back. I wonder who his parents were.

The Amity are soon given memory serum. They look dazed and confused while they are given new memories. Their faces are blank, and they parrot back everything they are told. It seems to me that their memories are going to match a little too exactly, but since they can't be allowed to remember us, I can see why they are doing it.

The injured from Dauntless who are going back seem to be handled more as individuals. They are treated and given the serum along with a specific memory or thought about how they sustained their injury.

The last thing I see that day are the bodies. I walk down the rows of bodies that are laid out to be taken back to the city for the factionless to cremate. Unexpectedly, I see a body I recognize. I look at it for just a moment, making sure I am right. I see the body next to her. My step falters as I realize that both Jazz, my trainer, and her husband are here. In my mind's eye, I see her kissing the top of her son's head as she leaves breakfast each morning during my initiation.

The little boy I saw being held by the Amity woman must have been her son.

* * *

"I'm leaving," Lucas says two days later as we sit at breakfast.

"What? Where? Why?" I look over at him shocked. He certainly doesn't think he can go back to Chicago, does he?

"I finally admitted to David that I just can't handle being here anymore. That I can't stand watching and knowing my family and friends have moved on without me," Lucas takes a long shuttering breath, "and my older sister was on the train." He trails off into a silence that tells me I was right. His sister wasn't one of the survivors.

"I'm sorry," I say softly, after what feels like an appropriate amount of time.

Lucas nods his thanks. "I can't watch my family go through it again, especially not since it is real this time and I'm mourning her, too. But I just can't keep myself away from the monitors. David's going to talk to Randall, his boss, since he is the one in control of the Bureau. David thinks he can get me moved to Indianapolis and I can help out there." Lucas sounds a little unsure about this idea.

"Why Indianapolis?" I've heard of that city. I think I've tested some blood samples from the fringe outside of it.

"Indianapolis is another experimental city," Lucas says quietly. "They are starting to have some problems. There are no factions there to help people learn a better way of thinking, just rules to keep everyone in line. They know what they are doing there since they didn't have their memories erased."

I wonder for a moment if that would make a difference. If knowing where we came from — what was on the other side of the fence and why we were there — would keep something like the killing of the Divergent from happening. If everyone knew the truth, would we still be with our families or would they be even more determined in hunting us down?

"Anyway," Lucas continues. He must have gotten tired of waiting for me to say something. "I would still be helping. David's going to try to talk Randall into letting me be part of the police force there. I might even be able to pass some of the ideals of the factions on. The most important thing to me is that they don't have any cameras that show our city there. I don't plan to forget where I came from, I just can't keep straddling two worlds."

"When do you leave?" I ask as Lucas stands up.

"I don't know for sure. Everything still has to clear Randall. I don't know how long it will take, but I'm hoping it will be soon." Lucas scuffs the toe of his shoe in the ground. "Ava's going to need someone to replace me on patrol. I was thinking about it, and you don't seem to be too happy in the labs some days, and you did a really good job keeping your wits about you at the blood brawl in the fringe and again at the train wreck. Would you be interested? Would you like me to mention you as a possibility to Ava?"

It only takes me a second to think about it. Security — patrolling the fringe — that's a Dauntless job. That's more like what I thought I was getting myself into by leaving Erudite. "Let Ava know I'm very interested."

 **I hope you enjoyed this little look into George's life. I don't have any intention of taking this any further. I appreciate all of you who took the time to read, review, follow, and/or favorite my little story here.**

 **Thank you again to BK2U for agreeing to beta this story. I appreciate you finding the time for George's story amidst your other authors' chapters so I can publish it when these events happen in The Blackest Shade of Gray.**

 **I'm back to Hana's world again. I hope to see you there! - SR**


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